Igniting attachment for gas-burners.



T. J. LITLE, JR.

IGNITING ATTACHMENT FOR GAS BURNBRS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1912 1 0 7 125 Patented Feb. 17,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES 2 23 Q lgvsg' o T. J. LITLE, JR. IGNITING ATTACHMENT FOR GAS BURNERS.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 27, 1912.

7 125 Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES Q I-NFgIEN%(?R THOMAS JAMES LITLE, 318., OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 WELSBACH LIGHT COMPANY, OF GLOUCESTER CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

IGNIT ING ATTACHMENT FOR GAS-BURNERS.

Patented Feb. 1'3, 19.14.

To all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, THowAs- J. LITLE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at lVoodbury, Gloucester county, New J ersay, have invented a new and useful Igmting Attachment for Gas-Burners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure -1 is a front elevation of a gas burner with a portion of the shade broken away, and showing one form 'of my inven-.

tion applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a view of the same partly in section and partly in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of the lighting attachment; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modification; Fig. (i is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the modified attachment of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the modified attachment of Figs. 5 and 6.

My invention has relation to gas-lighting devices adapted for use in connection with gas lamps, gas stoves, and in fact, any type of gas burning appliance; and more particularly to that class of gas-lighting devices which employ a pyrophoric alloy which has the property of emitting very hot sparks when scratched by a hard substance, It has been found that pyrophor c alloys 01' this character are more or less atiected by heated products of combustion, so that the efficiency and spark-emitting qualities of the 2.110 become impaired.

Theo ject of my invention is to provide a lighting device which is preferably in the nature of an attachment which can be quickly and readily applied to the burner with which it is to be used; and which can be moved from its lighting position to a normal position of rest, 'where it is not ex- PQSBd to the flame or hot products of combustion. 7

Referring first to that form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the numeral 2 designates the body of a gas burner of the inverted incandescent type;

3 the shade holding ring; 1 the shade or globe; and 5 the mantle. 6 is the usual gas supply pi'ie, provided with the controlling valve 7. he body portion 2 of the burner is provided with the usual ventilating open ings 8; and I utilize one of these openings .the piece of pyrophoric alloy 14.

through which the lighting sparks produced by the operation of the lighting device are directed.

My invention may be permanently attached to the lamp or other burner with which it is to be used; but I preferably form it in the nature of an attachment which can be readily applied to existing lamps.

9 a plate or bracket having the bent lips 9, which are adapted to enga e the rim portion 3 at the upper end of t e gallery portion of the burner. The plate or bracket also carries a clamping screw 10, which engages the gallery portion of the burner in the manner shown in Fig. 2 to secure the attachment in place. Rigidly secured to the plate 9 is a sleeve 11, which extends obliquely downward and outward, and within which is arranged to slide a longer sleeve 11 having clutch recesses or projections 12 at its lower end. Secured to the upper end of the sleeve 11 is an abrading wheel 13,

mounted within the guard frame 14, and which has a serrated or roughened periphery adapted to be rotated in contact with This piece of alloy is slidingly mounted in a suitable guide groove in a holder 15, attached to the sleeve 11, and is pressed against the roughened periphery of the wheel by a suitable spring 16.

17 is a rod which extends loosely through the sleeve 11, and through the wheel 13, its upper projecting end portion having the two separated flanges or collars 18, and which slidi'ngly engages an eye 19 on an actuating rod 20 connected to the stem '21 of the gas-controlling valve 7.

22 is an actuating member, which is connected to the lower end of the rod 17 by flexible joint 23.

24 is a spring holding device straddling the guard frame 14, and'having arms which are adapted to engage the groove 25 in the rod 17, for the purpose presently described.

Extending upwardly from the plate 9 is a projection 9* which is engaged by the holder 15 and a finger 15 extending from the holder 15.

The operation is as follows :-When it is desired to light the lamp, the ring 26 at the lower end of the actuating member 22 is grasped, and said member is pushed upwardly as far as it will go. This upward movement brings the lower flange or collar i8 on the rod 17 into engagement with the eye 19 of the rod 20, and thereby actuates the. valve to turn on the gas. This movement also brings a pin or pins 27 on the rod 17 into engagement with the clutch projections 12 on the sleeve 11*, and raises the abrading wheel and the pyrophoric alloy from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 into the position shown in Fig. 2. The is member 22 is then turned or twisted, the engagement of the pins 27 with the clutch projections 12 causing the rotation of the sleeve ii. and thereby of the abrading wheel 13 to produce the sparks which are directed through the adjacent opening 8 into the interior of the burner. Upon releasing the ring 26, the holder 15 and rod 17 drop by gravity to the position shown in'Figs. 1 and 3, so that the alloy and abrading wheel are out of the path of the heated products. The armsof the spring holding device retain the rod 17 from falling by gravity with relation to the holder 15 and thereby prevent the valve 7 from being closed when the parts move downwardly; it being under. stood that the space between the flanges or collars 18 is equal to the movement of the holder 15. To extinguish the burner the ring is grasped and the member 22 pulled downwardly until the upper flange or collar 18 engages the eye 19 to thereby actuate the rod 20 and close the gas supply valve.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I have shown a somewhat simpler form of my invention. In the form shown in these figures, the lighting device is carried by a plate or bracket 28, which is generally similar to the plate or bracket 9 before described, and is designed to be detachably secured to the burner in a similar manner. This plate or bracket is provided with a guide member 29 having guides forthe oblique rod 30, to the upper end portion. of-which is rigidly secured the abrading wheel 31 adapted to be rotated in contact with the piece 32 of pyrophorioelloy which is held in a holder 33 similar to the holder before described. The wheel 31 is embraced by a strap 34, which has a guide projection 35 engaging the guide arm 36 on the plate or bracket 28. In the device shown in these figures, there is no connection between the lighting device and the gas supply valve, the latter being separately actuated in the usual man ner. ln the'operation of this form of my invention, the abrading wheeland alloy are normally in the lower position shown in Fig. 6; ahd when it is desired to light the lamp, the rod 30 is pushed upwardly to bring these parts into the position shown in Fig. 5. The rod 30 is then rotated to pro duce the spark; and as soon as the rod is released the parts fall by gravity in the position shown in Fig. 6.

st The advantages of my invention will'he t emes readiiy apparent, since it provides a sim ple attachment capable of being readily applied to existing lamps; which is convenof construction and arrangement of the sevcral parts, such as the exact manner of its attachment to the burner and ot the details of construction.

I claim 2-- 1. The combination with a gas burner casing having a lighting opening therethrough, of an igniter for the burner exterior of the casing, comprising a piece of pyrophoric material and an abrader arranged to be moved into alinement with said opening, a movable carrier for the material and abrader, and actuating connections between the carrier and the gas supply valve for the burner for actuating the valve and moving the carrier together with the abrader in one direction; substantially as described.

2. A lighting attachment for gas burners,

- comprising a rotary and reciprocating sleeve 1 member having an abrader attached thereto,

and alsocarrying a piece of pyrophoric material in contact with the abrader, a rod or shaft movable longitudinally through the ,sleeve member and free to rotate therein when the attachment is in its inoperative position, and means for connecting the sleeve member and the rod to each other after a I to rotate said sleeve when the rod is rotated;

substantially as described.

3. The combination with a gas burner having a lighting opening, of a support connected to the burner frame, a sleeve mounted on said support and having an abrading device, said sleeve member being capable of both a rotary and endwise movement, a rod extending through the sleeve member and adapted to be connected therewith in one position of the rod to rotate the sleeve when the rod is rotated, a gas supply valve for the burner, and a connection operated by said rod tor'opening and closing said valve; substantially as described.

4. A lighting attachment for gas burners, comprising a rotary and reciprocating sleeve member having an abrader attached thereto, and also carrying a piece of pyrophoric material in contact with the abrader, a rod movable through said sleeve member and free to rotate therein when the attachment is in its inoperative position, and a clutch device for connecting the sleeve member and the rod to each other to move the sleeve upwardly after the rod has been moved through the sleeve a predetermined distance,

said clutch being arranged to rotate the sleeve when the rod is rotated when the attachment is in its operative position; substantially as described.

, 5. A lighting attachment for gas burners, comprising a sleeve member having an abrader attached thereto, and also carrying a piece of pyrophoric material in contact with the abrader, a rod movable through the sleeve member, means for connecting the sleeve member and the rod to each other after a preliminary endwise movement of the rod, a gas supply valve for the burner, and. projections on the rod for actuating the gas supply valve when said rod is shifted longitudinally; substantially as de scribed.

6. An igniting attachment for gas burners, comprising a plate or bracket, a clamping device for attaching the same to a burner frame, a bearing member on said bracket, and a pyrophoric sparking device having an actuating stem arranged to re ciprocate and rotate in said bearing; substantially as described.

7 An igniting attachment for gas burners, comprising a plate or bracket, a screw clamping device for removably securing the same to a burner frame, a guidingably and rotatably mounted in said sleeve means for connecting the sleeve and rod after the rod has been moved upwardly a predetermined distance, and an abrader mounted on said sleeve and arran ed to be rotated thereby; substantially as escribed.

9. The combination with a gas burner casing having a lighting opening therethrough, of an igniter or the burner comprising a piece of pyrophoric material and an abrader, a reciprocating carrier for the material and abrader, an actuator slidingly and rotatably mounted in the carrier and connections on the actuator for rotating the abrader, the actuator being arranged to move the carrier into alinement with a lighting opening and to rotate the abrader; substantially as described.

10. The combination with a as burner casing having a lighting opening therethrough, of an igniter for the burner comprising a piece of pyrophoric material and an abrader, a carrier for the material and abrader, an actuator slidingly mounted in the carrier and connections on the actuator for rotating the abrader, the actuator being arranged to move the carrier into alinement with a lighting opening and to rotate the abrader, there being a groove in the carrier for the pyrophoric material, and a spring connected to the carrier and in engagement with the pyrophoric material for holding it in engagement with the abrader; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS JAMES LITLE, JR.

Witnesses:

J. H. JoHNsoN, EDGAR LEN'roN. 

